This Week you’ll find in Your Share:
- Onions
- Garlic
- Tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Sweet peppers
- Kale
- Cucumbers
- Okra
- Round
- Zucchini
- Thyme
- Okra
- Potatoes
Next Week You Might Find in Your Share:
- Potatoes
- Scallions
- Garlic
- Tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Herb
From Your Farmers…
The cool down has been a dream. Dreaded afternoons in the field and evenings of trying to escape my own steam have given way to nights of deep sleep under cool skies and dawns inviting sleeves. Sunshine now waits to unveil the day until the clock says 6. Mornings feel longer and softer. The whole day doesn’t feel like one long afternoon. The strike of five onsets golden evenings. The sun is resting sooner and further to the south. Little bits of rain have relaxed the plants in the field. Fall seedlings have that bright, sweet, untainted suppleness seen only in the young of any living thing.
This weekend’s walk in the woods laid it plain that fall will come. Colored leaves were on the ground, (not only from drought) the paw paws are waning and the persimmons have grown. But the heat has been here, and its presence is still in those living under full sun. As in… tomato harvests have dropped to about one third of the last few weeks as a result of dormancy and blossom drop during the heat dome. Cucumber flavor, as I meant to warn last week, can be bitter and nearly hoppy due to heat stress. Great in a glass for a beer lover; not so in a bowl of crispy greens. Maybe try peeling them to start. If that still won’t do, try some refrigerator pickles. (quarter the cukes and drop them in a jar of vinegar and dill, or plunk them right in with that half full jar still in your fridge from Memorial Day.)
Thyme is great with roasted chicken and potatoes. Also goes well with eggs. A sprinkle over a salad with a vinegar and oil dressing is nice. We wonder if it may go well in a chilled glass of club soda as well…
Your free farm dinner and cooking class is coming up next week! We’d love to see every one of you at Bethany Peace UCC, 6 PM Tuesday, August 28. If you didn’t sign up when you picked up your share give us a call and get on the list. We want you to be there so we can get to know each other. You want to be there for the same reason…and because the food tends to be delicious.
Food for Thought…
The journalist Michael Pollan, author of Food Rules, devotes much attention to America’s
need for a healthier food culture. Some of his suggestions include eating meals, eating with
others, eating at a table, and taking as much time to savor a home-cooked meal as it took to
prepare in the kitchen. (My grandmother would very often insist on that last element, long
before Michael Pollan authored any books!) Though simple, these individual components
I just covered each add something important to our food experience. We are less likely
to snack on junk if we have planned meals for the day. We are more likely to take proper
portions on our plates if we are eating among others. Next Tuesday, the 28th, we’ll take time
to slow down, cook and eat together, and recognize the value of this wholesome food and the
friendly company we can offer each other.
Tip of the Day:
Your source for nutritional informational is ChooseMyPlate.gov
This Week’s Recipe…
comes to us from Jennifer Davis, your Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program Assistant at Lincoln University Cooperative Extension (L.U.C.E), Urban impact Center. Her program offers 6 to 8 lessons that focus on the importance of developing sound eating habits. The EFNEP is designed to assist families and youth acquire knowledge, the skills, and attitudes to change their behaviors towards healthier diet. Need more nutritional tips? Visit us on Thursday from 9:00 to 11:00 at the farm or pantry and sample our Recipe of the Month- Spicy Okra.
You will love this zesty okra dish.
Recipe
4 Cups of sliced fresh okra
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium diced tomatoes
1 fresh jalapeno pepper
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
1. Rinse okra
2. Heat oil in a skillet over moderately high heat.
Sauté onion for about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes,
peppers, salt, and pepper. Stir for about 15 minutes or
desired time.
Health Benefits of Okra: Rich in Fiber, Folates,
Vitamins C, A, E, K, and Anti-Oxidants.
One last thought:
Your reusable bags….. We will number the bags and allow 3 for each shareholder so you know you’re always getting your bag. As long as you bring a bag back each week we’ll each have one. Having a third lets you miss a return week and still have a bag.
CAASTLC's Seeds of Hope Farm 